Cut the Uni-Tongue of Nike Courtballistec 3.3

I have always had a hard time breaking in the Nike Courtballistec 3.3s so I decided to buy another new pair of them and test this theory all Nadal fans have, that his single tongue shoe is more comfortable as opposed to the retail uni-tongue version.

I must note that this alteration does indeed feel more comfortable. The retail 3.3s have a uni-tongue similar to the 2.3s but instead has a thinner layer and is deeper inside the shoe as opposed to the 2.3's thick layer. However, the 3.3 is still too tight, in my opinion.

Thus, I cut the tongue even deeper (all the way to the second shoe lace hole) than what the factory has made but not completely. The 3.3's tongue itself is very thin compared to Nadal's custom shoes. To compensate, I cut a slit on the side of the tongue and took some cotton pillow filler to fill it in. The slit is unnoticeable since it's on the inside of the shoe.

Compare the opening of the before and after shoes. The single tongue one has a bigger open hole, allowing more room to fit your foot in.

I hope this helps.

Email me if you have any questions. Put "Nike Courtballistec" in the subject line so I know you're not a random person outside of this forum.
johnvujohn @ g m a i l dot com

As long as your insoles are completely worn out, I would say it's possible for you to get a voucher even with an altered tongue. If it's just an altered tongue, however, I don't think you could get a voucher but hey, you could try.

I tried the shoe on with just the cut strap and it's a little loose for me. The filled in single tongue keeps my foot loose and snugged in but not as tight as with the strap on. Everyone's foot is different.

I also cut out the first two blue ribbons that held the shoe laces. They were doing nothing over there. The shoe lace now just goes directly to the shoe lace hole on the shoe: Nike, why complicate things.

After that I went out to play a game for a local tournament. After the first 30 minutes I could definitly feel the shoe more comfortable untill there was no pain anymore.

Now I understand what everyone was saying about this shoe. After the break in period they are great.

Would I buy them again?

No way! I want a shoe the I can wear right out of the box..and there are so many out there..Its not worth going trough this process.

Hey, is there any way you can take pictures with them on? Because it would seem like the new 'stuffed' tongue is not long enough to go up and over the rest of the shoe, if that makes any sense. I just want to know what the shoes look like when they are laced up. Does it look like Nadal's shoe when he laces them up?

Whether you choose to alter the shoes or not is entirely up to you. This is a very subjective matter and there isn't a right or wrong answer. Every person's foot is different and I thought I would share what would make these shoes more comfortable for feet.

Sorry about the pictures guys. Someone hacked into my blog which forced me to close the site down. If anyone wants to see the pictures, email me at johnvujohn @ g m a i l . c o m

Also, I started this thread only to share information about how this modification might help anyone who has a pair of any courtballistecs. I did NOT demand or want you to cut your shoes apart but only offered a possible alternative solution. Use this information at your own discretion.

If you're so worried about ruining your shoes, then obviously don't do it.